Recommendations for translation and cross-cultural adaptation of instruments for occupational therapy research and practice

Abstract

Much of the work developing and testing new instruments for use in rehabilitation research and practice has occurred in English-speaking countries. Therefore rehabilitation researchers and clinicians in other countries who want to use these instruments must fi rst undertake the work of translating them into their own language and then validating their use in a different cultural context. This process must follow established guidelines in order for the translated instrument to be valid for use. To date, however, there has been little discussion in the occupational therapy literature about how best to conduct translation or how to evaluate the validity of a translated instrument. The purpose of this article is to provide guidance to readers who may be considering translation of an instrument for occupational therapy research or practice and to assist practitioners who are evaluating whether they should use a translated instrument in their clinical work.